The current winner of the Gaes Titan Desert by Garmin, Josep Betalú, has given a step forward and has won the leader’s maillot after leaving behind Roberto Bou in a day of maximum emotion with end in the camp of El Jorf. José Luis Carrasco has conquered the victory in the longest stage of this edition, of 143km, with a time of 4h 52m and 41s.

The Gaes Titan Desert by Garmin 2017 is in the thick of the flight after the dispute in the penultimate stage (second sector of the marathon stage) between Fezzou and El Jorf. The duel between Betalú and Roberto Bou is more disputed, and today the first one has changed the situation and has been the leader in spite of the resistance of the young biker Bou, of only 24 years.

The experience is a degree and in a stage of 140km, Betalú, 40 years old, has known how to play perfectly. He has not realized his first movement until Km. 70, when his colleague Aitor Hernández has put a very hard pace. The pass of the kilometers has spoiled the leader, and though he has resisted up to three assaults of Betalú, finally he has yielded from Km. 90.

The winner of 2016 has been able to connect with the escape ones: Carrasco and Triki Beltrán (Armas), Colomé (Esteve KH7), Del Nero (Primaflor) and Jan Fojtik, Ondrej’s brother, winner of yesterday’s stage.

Bou has remained totally alone and has had to follow Betalú during 40 km, and finally he has lost at the finish line 2 minutes and 29 seconds, enough time in order that now the runner of Amposta leads the general classification, being 35 seconds over Bou. “After winning last year, to be the second is not enough to me, so, I am decided to fight, giving the maximum of me. It is clear that my objective is the general classification and tomorrow I will do my best to keep the leader’s maillot “has explained Betalú.

The fight for the stage has also been hard and the fastest in the last kilometers among the escaped ones has been José Luis Carrasco, very moved at the finish line on having dedicated this important victory to his brother.

This is the second victory of stage in the Gaes Titan Desert by Garmin for the runner of Naviera Armas, since last year he won in the last stage.

In women, the victory has been for Anna Gabriel, but the general is already sentenced in favor of Anna Ramírez, who tomorrow will be able to celebrate her second Titan after the success achieved in 2015.

The rest of big competitors who stay - a total of 380 at the beginning of the stage- have suffered, lived and enjoyed one of the hardest stages for the extensive distance in kilometers and the high temperatures. The time to complete the stage was of 12 hours.

Tomorrow all of them have a meeting with the history, as in only 51 km between El Jorf and Maadid, they will obtain the valued stone of finisher for that they have fought so much. The general classification is in the air and tomorrow it will be a day of maximum emotion.